Newly crowned European cross country champion Thierry Ndikumwenayo is set to target the European 5km record at the B100 Cursa dels Nassos in Barcelona on New Year’s Eve (31 December).
The Spaniard edged out world 10,000m champion Jimmy Gressier to claim gold at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa on 14 December. Gressier currently holds the European 5km record, having clocked 12:57 in Lille in March.
Record within reach for in-form Spaniard
Ndikumwenayo is the Spanish record-holder at the distance with 13:08, and his personal best on the track over 5000m stands at 12:47.67, set at the Bislett Games in Oslo in June. If he can maintain his best form, the continental record appears well within reach for the 28-year-old.
The international 5km race will feature 70 elite athletes from 16 countries. Over the past three editions, four world records have been broken, along with a European record by Dominic Lobalu in 2023, when he recorded a then-best time of 13:12.
